Acadia

Get a tiny unfill before you find you're too tight and have to pay to have it removed. Being too tight is horrendous.

Something to keep in mind is that a lot of Protein powders will go super grainy and nasty when mixed in. And oatmeal is high in protein anyway so no need to add more. Definitely stay away from the prepackaged kind unless it's from somewhere like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's where they offer non-sweetened prepackaged oatmeal (blueberry flax is my fav from TJ's). I personally make mine really thick (I hate thin oatmeal) and I've never gotten stuck because it breaks down very fast as you chew it and add saliva.

You're losing more than 1 lbs a week so you're completely on track for healthy and normal weight loss. While that's not comforting - you are losing. And if you've stopped losing then you need to review what you're doing. Getting another surgery may not help if you're over eating or eating horrible food. A lot of people who get more invasive stomach altering surgeries end up gaining all the weight back - and more - and stretch their new stomach to a larger size. Just keep at what you're doing, monitor your calories closely using something like The Daily Plate and your activity using something like the FitBit ($99 / free website with tracking, tracks your sleep, your activity level, your steps, mileage, and food) and see where the discrepancy is. Since you're doing this for 3 more months make the best of those three months and write down every single thing you eat and the amount (measure it). And invest $99 in a FitBit and track your activity effortlessly so you can see how much you're really moving every day (you may be shocked). You need a caloric deficiency of 500 calories per day (either by less food than your height/weight needs) or by burning via activity to lose 1 lbs / week. Chances are, at your weight, you need around 2,400 calories to maintain your weight (with no increase in activity). So drop your calories to 1,400 / day (a comfortable amount) and walk at least 5,000 steps a day (it's an achievable goal for most people - whereas 10,000 steps can put some people off initially) and you'll see movement.

If you want instant and natural relief make a salt Water cleanser. 1 L of water and 2 tsp of iodine free salt (like natural sea salt). Mix the salt with around 1 oz of super hot water to dissolve, then mix that with the rest of the 1 L of cold water, and chug it. It will taste like crap it will be horrible for the minute or two it takes you to drink it. But, it will clean you out - and fast. It causes a natural sodium imbalance in your intestines which causes your intestines to release Fluid, which gets your bowels moving - FAST. Seriously - FAST. Be near a toilet and plan on being near one for 2-3 hours. You'll feel great when it's done but it can be a bit tedious. However, it is natural and it works.

Since you're still on mushies and haven't really eaten "real" food you may find that you're full longer once you can eat real food. If you are able to to go 4-5 hours at that point then hold off on a fill. If not, then only get a small fill because it really sounds like you're very close to your green zone. I know I only needed one 1.5 cc fill to hit mine. Make sure you drink a whole glass of Water at your appointment after your fill not just the little 1 oz they usually hand out - I say this because you said it takes a bit for food to get through so chances are you are super close to perfect.

It's good that they verified they were in. It's not uncommon for blind fills to result in punctured tubing, which leads to a leak and tubing replacement (not fun). It could just be that your fill is taking its time. Mine take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to reach their full effect. Give it time. And be careful, while you may feel that you can eat more you may be very surprised quite suddenly by a food you thought you could eat that you really couldn't. For me it was rice oddly enough. Figured it would be safe - nope. Stuck. And remember, on stormy bad weather days your band will be a little looser. On clear days it will be tighter. So if you've had a few stormy days where you are that will account for part of the delay.

It actually has nothing to do with the temperature outside but rather the barometric pressure. The higher the barometric pressure, the tighter the band. And barometric pressure is higher in warmer weather because warmer weather is usually accompanied by clear skies. As a storm moves in, its low pressure upsets the pressure and drops the barometric pressure, thereby loosening your band. Clear skies = high pressure = tight band. Stormy skies = low pressure = loose band. Watch the weather and you'll notice that you can eat more on rainy days than you can on clear days.

I eat them if I have to drive a long distance because they're convenient, but I have found that if I'm 'tight' that day, they are not a smart choice as they do bind and can get stuck.

Depends on your weight and if you're pre op or post op. I'm 5' 4", 223 lbs, and 52.2% body fat, which means I need 1,713 calories per day to maintain my weight (BMR). So to lose 1 lbs a week I need to eat 1,213 calories per day (no additional activity). To lose 2 lbs a week I need to eat 1,212 calories per day and lose 500 calories per day through activity as it's not safe to reduce my calories below 1,200 calories / day. All that said, you may need 2,200 calories to maintain your weight, or 1,200 calories / day to lose 2 lbs / week or 1,700 calories / day to lose 1 lbs / week.

I'm a vegetarian and eat more than enough fruits and vegetables to get enough fiber. My bowels agree ; ) Though my Dr. did suggest fiber powder at the beginning right after surgery for the first couple of weeks but not for life - you should be getting enough from the food you eat. If you have gas pain take a gas x pill or beano before meals that you know could cause it. It happens sometimes. Getting too much fiber may actually make you more gassy.

Go get a small unfill and eat proper food. You'll get better nutrition and stay satiated longer. Juicing will give you calories but will not make you full. And being too tight due to swelling and heat can cause other problems.

Because I had been tracking my activity, food intake, etc. every day for years I had records and was exempt from the requirements. So, just in case it's required in your case, start logging your weight every day, your food intake every day, your activity every day - and use something like The Daily Plate and/or FitBit so you have a true record so you can prove you've been doing this. Plus it will help prepare you for life after surgery. Something else to note - while your insurance may not require it some employers have an additional clause where THEY require you do certain things before you're allowed to proceed through the insurance process. My employer required additional counseling AND they would have required a 6-month diet and exercise plan and weekly counseling at my expense, and if I didn't have all my records and didn't put up a fuss about this being a last minute request that was never mentioned to the insurance company (I had already done everything my insurance company needed, psych counseling, etc. and the employer stepped in literally at the last second), I would have just been having my surgery now, instead of having had it in January.

If at all possible you should give yourself two weeks - just in case you have complications during the surgery or recovery. Everyone heals differently. I had surgery on a Friday, was working on Tuesday but not physically back at the office until Thursday. After gallbladder surgery though I had complications. I had surgery on Friday and by Sunday was in such excruciating pain from the internal sutures that I could barely move and went very begrudgingly back to the office on Thursday in pain. That was coming up on three weeks ago. After that surgery I've been on oxycodone for the pain, have had a nerve block in my abdomen, and currently have another surgery scheduled to remove the internal sutures. So while you could go back in a week, if you have complications you will not want to. So try to reschedule for around the 14th-18th of August so you have a couple of weeks, just to be safe.

Oatmeal is a complete food - it offers whole grains, Protein, carbs, and all of the amino acids in one meal. Add a teaspoon of fruit (fresh or dried) for some Vitamins and sweetness (blueberries are my favorite). Add 5-8 crushed almonds for some healthy fat and crunch. Add a little ground flax seed for essential oil and a nice flavor. And you have a great and very filling meal. It's my go to meal when I need something that will fill me up and that is very healthy for me. As long as you use oats without extra sugar (no pre sweetened prepackaged oatmeal) then you're just fine and it's a fantastic food. At some point you'll find a study that EVERY food is bad for you in some way. And every food is - you could choke on quite literally anything. You can even overdose on Water. Eat what you want. Eat high calorie low nutrition foods in moderation. Enjoy.

While swelling can account for some of the discrepancy, when your nurse was trying to remove everything she could have - or the Dr. could have - inadvertently pushed a little air into your band, that takes up space and if you didn't know, you can fill a band with air and not saline. So you could actually have the full amount of fill, it just may not be all in fluid.

If there's no radiology involved then that is very excessive. I would contact your Dr's office and ask for a copy of that billing and an explanation of what each item is. Chances are your insurance will reduce the allowed amount to around $200-300.

I agree - build up slowly to your green zone. And remember, the band isn't about restriction. If you're eating more just because you can then STOP. You're only harming yourself. Eat what you need in order to not be hungry. And if you have no hunger for 4-5 hours between meals then you're in your green zone. It's up to you to limit your food intake. We can all overeat - even if we're over filled we can overeat our sliders. The band's purpose is to help you eat less while feeling satiated for longer (ideally 4-5 hours between meals). And don't judge your fill by anyone else's. If I had a 5.1 cc fill to start I would have been at the ER. For me a 1.5 cc fill - my first - was perfect. I just didn't know it, so a month later I got another 1 cc and I was over filled (I couldn't believe a single 1.5 cc fill would be sufficient - I should have listened to my body), I was way too tight, and I spent two months like that while billing issues were worked out. I had that 1 cc removed and things were so much better. Remember, a very very tiny fill of 0.1 cc can be the difference between being over filled and being in your green zone. So take it slow.

Did your doctor do your fill under fluoroscopy or blind?

There is a very good reason why Doctors wait 4-6 weeks between fills. A fill isn't always instantaneous. It can take 4-6 weeks for you to feel the full effects of the fill. Your body goes through A LOT of fluctuations in 4-6 weeks, Water retention, appetite, mood swings, weather related changes (hot weather = tight band for a lot of people) etc. regardless of age or sex - though females have more of these fluctuations than males. When you first get your fill the Fluid pushes fluid from the tubing into the band, and it sits near the tubing entry. Over several days or weeks it spreads out evenly around the band. During this time you have applied pressure to your stomach tissue and it swells - but that can take days or weeks to happen. If you get fills every 2-3 weeks you risk being over filled and causing a lot of trauma to your stomach for no good reason. The lapband isn't a quick fix. It's a process. And trust me - you do not want to be over filled. It is hell. It hurts. It makes you vomit. It makes you dread eating even when you feel like you're starving. Take it slow, you'll hit your green zone eventually - until then use this as your learning experience and slow down.

Sounds like you are too tight and you should be on something like Prilosec OTC (or generic) that will help limit the amount of acid your stomach produces (you don't need as much now but your stomach may still be overproducing). Get about 1 cc removed and start on a daily dose of Prilosec OTC (with your Dr's approval) and stay on that for around 6 months to help retrain your stomach. Clear all of that with your Dr. of course but chances are that will make you feel MUCH better.

Weight loss is about what you put into it. If you really watch what you eat and work out regularly you'll lose weight faster than if you eat whatever you want (just smaller quantities) and don't work out at all. While sleeve loss is known to be faster initially, excess skin and malnutrition are also more common with the sleeve and gastric bypass. You didn't gain the weight overnight, you won't lose it overnight. Aim for 1-2 lbs per week or better yet around 5 lbs a month. It doesn't sound like much but it adds up quickly and gives you time to adjust to the weight loss and if you work out (weights and such - not cardio) during this time you can build muscle to fill out the skin where the fat is being lost so your excess skin will be minimal.

While you shouldn't dread meals you may start to think of meals simply as times when you eat to get energy - the ideal way to think about food. Don't eat if you're not hungry. Even if you're with others. And learn how to eat smaller when out. It's tempting to try to eat what others do but you have to hold yourself back. Avoid foods you know could cause problems like Pasta and bread. Stick with Soups and other easy to eat things. As you learn your band you'll learn how you can eat, what's safe and what isn't.

You may also need an UNFILL to help release some of the pressure on your nerves to give you a bit of hunger back. And to help you better eat healthy foods. However, even with that - you must make the right choices. If you don't - then nothing will help you.

You're correct, the human body can only digest 20 grams of Protein within an hour - the rest is wasted and does not count against your protein count. For Protein Drinks, try Isopure Zero Carb. It's clear like Crystal Light, tastes good on ice (not bad room temp) and is more refreshing than milky type shakes. It can also be used when you make Jello, can be made into Popsicles, etc.